It's All About Perception
by Lady Notorious
Summary: When Murtagh arrives at Uru'baen after his stint with the Varden, he is faced with someone from his past who is not what they seem. Rating subject to change!
1. Summons

**Every name and event that you recognize is owned by Christopher Paolini. Everything else, belongs to me, myself, and I. Unless I say otherwise of course, because then it belongs to whomever I say that it belongs to. Read, Enjoy, and Review or else I won't have the incentive to update since I know the whole story. If you want to know it, make it known to me!**

Green eyes glanced out the window as the petite form walked through the hall in which the aforementioned window was placed. Worry shone through the emeralds before they closed, shying away from the harsh sunlight. It was dawn-her favorite time of the day. But for the past few months, not even dawn could raise her spirits. Not since he had fled the area. _Why did you have to leave me? _She wondered as she continued her walking. _We were both outsiders here and never involved with anyone else. You, because of your birth and I.… Well, you didn't know the reason why I wasn't, did you? I doubt you'll ever know_, she mused to herself as if she was talking to the object of her affections. She wasn't, of course- he was thousands of miles away from this place and from her. She didn't begrudge him his freedom, but only that he hadn't taken her with him. But she knew he didn't care for her that much-not enough to take a seemingly sick woman into the wilderness and danger.

However, her moments of reflection were over. She had to get out of this hall before the earls arrived for their weekly meeting with the king. Not that they did anything, it was of course all for show. Everyone in Uru'baen knew that. Life! Everyone in Alagaesia knew that nobody had power other than Galbatorix. _But there's talk of a new rider_, she thought to herself. Nobody spoke of it out loud of course-not in Galbatorix's castle but Via had a way of hearing things that were not supposed to be heard. After all, few people noticed her- she was a seemingly nobody. When people did wonder who she was, they were surprised to find out whom she was. Not every girl within the empire could brag that she, like Murtagh son of Morzan, was under the protection of King Galbatorix of Alagaesia. Not that she had met the man more than a handful of times since the day when she had appeared in his throne room. Appeared rather suddenly and without any recollection of who she was or any voice. This had been proven when he had probed her mind. There had been flashes of memories but nothing that could be put together and he saw that although she was a mute, she could hear the world around her and understood it all. It had been a surprise move on his part to let her stay in his castle; she a woman of no importance!

There had been some talk of her being his illegitimate child, but nobody really believed that Galbatorix would risk such a thing. There were rumors that he killed every woman he took to his bed in fear of an heir usurping him. Via wasn't his daughter, of course and Galbatorix didn't think that- she hadn't tricked him somehow. Actually, she had tricked him. She knew who she was; she was Alsavianost, more commonly called Via. He didn't know that she knew this however; he thought that he alone knew of her lineage. Not that it really mattered if he knew or not just as long as he believed her to be unaware of whom she was. If he knew that she knew, he would most surely kill her.

If he knew that she knew that she was the heir of the land he had seized, he would kill her in an instant. She didn't know why he kept her around and it troubled her. Did he keep her alive just for the sheer amusement that he had stolen her inheritance and her family away from her? She had not even been born at the time when he ordered his assassins to murder her father, just like her father had not been born when the same order had been made towards his father, twenty years after Galbatorix himself had killed Via's grandfather's father, King Angrenost. It was amazing that she had even survived. Her grandfather had been ten when Galbatorix had killed his father and fifty when he had been killed- forty years of Galbatorix's reign passed before he had killed him. Then another forty passed before he ordered her father's death. The unpleasant thought that she would never wake up on her fortieth birthday if Galbatorix continued ruling made Via's pale face become even more pallid than usual. _That will not happen_, she swore silently.

She finally reached the door to her own room, opened it, and walked in. She walked over to the bed, sat down and sighed yet another inaudible sigh. Life was unpleasant and would be forevermore if Galbatorix was not destroyed. It was her life goal to see that he was destroyed. _But how much longer can I keep up this façade? I yearn to speak,_ she thought as she started to lie down on her bed but then thought otherwise and strode over to the window seat at the opposite end of the Spartan room. She sat down and rested her head against the pane of glass that overlooked the main gate of Uru'baen. _Ilirea_, she thought mournfully. And then she let her mind wander; imagining the dresses and swains she would have had if not for the man who had given her permission to stay in this place; a place that had once been her family's home! She had been up hours before dawn and so, slowly, she drifted to sleep, nestled in the window seat, her face always looking towards the riders entering the gates of Uru'baen.

It was not a peaceful sleep, it never was in Via's case. But it was rest and one that she would not eagerly be awoken from. And so, when someone rapped against her door, her eyes narrowed slightly as she walked to the dark wood door and opened it. She raised an eye at the courier who stood before her, demanding of him to speak his message. And speak his message he did.

"King Galbatorix of the Broddring Empire," Via clenched her hand slightly as the courier spoke but he didn't seem to notice, "requests your presence in his throne room."

A/N: Sorry it's so short! I'm extremly tired and I want to get the whole story up before I decide I'm not longer interested, which has happened before when people havn't pushed me to write it, so review! Hope you enjoyed it so far, although I'm sure you're confused, which is perfect. If you're not, then I either didn't make it come out as I hoped or you just understand my mind better than most.

Lady N


	2. For the Best

**This will be slightly out of character for Murtagh, sorry. I also change his personality rather quickly, but I just wanted to show how swiftly Galbatorix changed his view. **

**Lady N  
**

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As she walked towards the throne room, Via took notice of the temperature rising. Of course it would, Galbatorix's dragon was never far from its rider. She stepped through the doorway and curtsied before the king. He nodded, acknowledging her and asked about her well being. She motioned that it was well and he smiled. A cruel smile, Via noticed and thanked the gods for her long sleeves or else the chills that appeared upon her arm would be visible. She glanced around the room discreetly and her green eyes quickly took in that nobody was in the room other than the king, his dragon, and herself. She started to get worried. Had he decided it was time to kill her? She was ready to protect herself, of course but there was only so much she could do. She couldn't reach her knives, they were strapped to her legs, as she hadn't suspected she would need them today so they weren't in their normal places on her arms, and there was not much she could do without the element of surprise anyway.

"Well, Via," Galbatorix started in his cold, cruel drawl. He looked as if he was fifty and spoke with the voice of a young man; it scared Via just to hear her name from his mouth. "You have become a lovely young woman and I have decided that it is time for you to marry." Via felt her jaw drop-this was not supposed to happen! She would prefer being discovered than being forced to marry. She was silent, as always, but raised an eyebrow in question and so the dark rider continued. "Murtagh has returned," he said, as if out of the blue. Via smiled softly and glanced over her shoulder, asking where he was. She had been speaking this way for years and by now, her actions truly did speak louder than words. The king motioned with his hand and Murtagh stepped out of the shadows and bowed to Via who, in response, curtsied back and smiled in greeting. "You two will wed in a week," the king said. A look of surprise emanated from Via's face; she could most definitely not marry Murtagh. She glanced towards Murtagh and wondered if he too was surprised; his expression had not changed. She surreptitiously looked him over and frowned when she saw that his hands were gloved entirely. Usually he just wore a arm covering on his arm where the string of his arrow would strike him.

"You will wed in a week's time," the king continued. "On the day when we shall celebrate Murtagh's elevation to the status of a novice rider." Via's eyes opened wide as she looked at Murtagh, whose hand clenched into a fist. She reached out her hand towards his and although he hesitated, he pulled his glove from his hand and laid his hand in hers with the Gedwey Ignasia lighting up her face. He pulled it back after a moment and then spoke, "everything has been well?" She nodded, puzzled as to why everything wouldn't be well. And then she realized something- how long had he been here to become the latest dragon rider and have his Gedwey Ignasia shine so? That was not the Gedwey Ignasia of someone who had just been branded- Orrin had shown her the blue dragon's riders Gedwey Ignasia and that had been as shiny as Murtagh's, as powerful.

Via continued to look between the mark and Murtagh's face and Murtagh turned to the king. "Would it be all right if I spent sometime with my betrothed?" he asked, taking Via's hand in his, stunning her. She had not truly agreed to this, but what else could she do? The king nodded and Murtagh bowed then led Via out of the throne room and down several halls until they stood outside her room's door. She opened it and walked over to the bed, sat down and then picked up the parchment and quill from the stand beside her bed. And then she began to write. 'How long have you been back?'

Murtagh sighed, still standing. "A long time," he said looking at his best friend.

'Did you have anything to do with this engagement?' the quill scratched against the parchment quickly and her letters were hardly legible, betraying Via's emotions. Murtagh shook his head before speaking, "the king decided you and I should wed because… Because I wouldn't hear any arguments from you about being a rider." He watched as she turned bright red and he made to speak, she was sure he would try to apologize, but she raised a hand and stopped him. 'A rider?'

Murtagh felt his throat contract, stifling his breathing. It should have been her first question. How had he, the son who hated his father Morzan the rider, become what he hated the most- a rider for Galbatorix. Via had been Murtagh's confidant when he had realized that Galbatorix had stopped proving her mind and as such, she was most likely the most suitable woman for him to wed because she would never turn her back on him since she knew how he truly felt. But a small part of his mind told him that her view on him would change. But then again, he didn't really know her view on the riders. She had never written a long enough explanation for him and she could not tell him.

Via waited for him to speak, curious as to why he hesitated. _It's just me,_ she couldn't help but think, irritated. Murtagh rarely talked of his true feelings but he always spoke passionately to Via about the riders and how he wish they had never been. _How could he have become what he hated most? There must be some choice involved. He could have chosen not to accept a dragon's egg. _

Murtagh finally broke the silence and muttered something under his breath and his hand shone brighter than ever. Via felt the magic roll through the room and quickly recognized a silencing spell. Whatever was said in that room could not be heard anywhere else. Only then did Murtagh finally speak. "I was captured from within the Varden," he said curtly and Via's eyes widened. This was a day full of surprises; Murtagh hated the Varden almost as much as the Riders. "I was helping the new rider, Eragon, when I was taken hostage by Urgals and brought back to the king. He forced me to touch one of his eggs and it hatched for me. A red dragon hatched from it and marked me. This was over five months ago."

Via gasped at his last statement. The rest had been surprising, a new rider! But this surprised, and hurt, her more than anything else. He had been here this long and hadn't tried to see her? She was sure the hurt shone through her eyes and so she looked down at her hands, mentally begging Murtagh to continue and he did.

"You know I never wanted to be a Rider, not after my father," Via nodded in response to his statement. "I refused Galbatorix for this and many other reasons. I had befriended the new rider, Eragon, for one. Another was that he was, is, I guess, my brother. I told him he would have to kill me before I did anything for him on the back of a dragon. And in a way he did. He threatened me. And you, knowing that we were friends." Understanding of his earlier question finally dawned upon Via. "Even so, I couldn't relent- it went against everything I am, I'm sorry. It didn't come down to that, though, it didn't have to. He found out mine and my dragon's true names." Via looked up suddenly. This couldn't happen. "He forced Thorn, my dragon, and I to pledge allegiance to him in the Elvin language. And then he taught me everything he knew. And his vision! It is a great one, Via!"

Via recoiled from Murtagh and shook her head, looking at him in horror. _What has he forced you to believe, my friend? You are becoming your father! _If only she could tell him these things! Murtagh seemed not to notice and continued. "I rode Thorn into battle yesterday and regained Zar'roc. Galbatorix decided it is time for me to wed, so that my children too can become the new riders of his vision. I am sorry he picked you as I'm sure you would not have chosen this, but it is not the worst match, is it?" He finally looked at her now but the horror on her face must have died down since he said nothing.

_Perhaps I can influence him. I can reveal myself to him now…No, I promised Orrin that I would not let anyone know who I am unless all hope is lost. And there is still the other egg._ Via knew there was nothing else to do and so she nodded her head. Murtagh smiled, a smile not dissimilar from that of Galbatorix's and made to leave the room but stopped at the doorway. "It'll be for the best, don't worry." Via tried to smile and Murtagh left the room.

And she felt the chills return to her arm as she sat on her bed.

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**Read, Review, and Enjoy! **

**  
Lady N**


	3. Purity of Intent

She stood before the mirror, looking at herself and the dress she wore. It was midnight blue and somehow set off her black hair quite nicely. An apt metaphor would be to say that Via looked like the nighttime sky, dark but still darker in some places and her ashen face resembled the moon. Thoughts of the night made Via shudder. If it had been Murtagh as he had been a year ago, she would have been perfectly fine with tonight. But Murtagh had changed for the worse and she was unsure how she was going to let this happen tonight. Was he going to rape her? Galbatorix rapped enough women, would his protégé be any different? She silently prayed that her most fearsome fantasies would not be the truth. _Anyway, maybe something will happen, something to enable me to escape._

Via tried to think of ways to make her escape as she stood there, admiring the billowy dresses sleeves and narrow tunic, which clung to her torso but then flared out once again when it reached her skirts. She couldn't help admiring the dress, even though she knew it was outdated. In fact, Galbatorix had reveled in the fact when he allowed Via to pick a dress from the royal apartments that had been closed for over one hundred years.

"_You see, Via, the last queen of the Broddring Empire wore these outfits and as you are to marry my beneficiary, it is only suitable that you wear one for your wedding day," the king then paused for a moment and then smiled the cold smile that Via detested more than almost everything else in the world. "After all, there will never be a queen of the Broddring Empire again." Via could have sworn that he looked at her when he said this but as usual, Via stayed silent. _

Via tugged at the sapphire necklace that sat at the hollow of her neck and barely skimmed the white lace of the squared neckline and sighed softly. _I wish he could see what he has become. Did I love who he was? Yes, I think so. But this… This isn't even a shell of the man I loved. This is his father. _

A knock startled Via out of her wondering and a servant poked their head through the door. "They are ready for you." Via nodded and adjusted her black curls once more. If she was going to get married against her will to a man whom she no longer loved, she would at least look dignified when doing so. After all, she was marrying a dragon rider. Who wouldn't be thrilled?

_Only those of us whose entire lives have been ripped away because of those same Riders, _Via thought wryly as she stepped away from the mirror, picked up the bouquet of white roses and stepped into the hall to make her way to her own wedding. She couldn't help but laugh slightly at the bouquet that she held. _So much for the meaning of flowers. Purity of intent. Hah! There is no purity in this wedding. I live a lie, Murtagh is the new Morzan and this entire marriage is just Galbatorix's manipulations to be able to claim that his future riders are descendents of the last Broddring princess. _

Via stopped outside of the two large wooden doors that blocked her view of the throne room and listened to what she heard from inside. Nobody else would have heard, but Via was not anybody else and she only caught snatches, anyway.

"I hear that she's the king's daughter and that's the reason."… "At least she's decent looking, but who would want to marry a mute?" "Who wouldn't want to marry a woman who would never speak?"… "She's so lucky to marry a rider!"… "I heard that she's pregnant with the king's child and that's why." "She's pregnant with the rider's child!"… "She's the King of Surda's sister and this is part of a peace treaty."

Via recoiled as she heard the last snippet. If her name and Orrin's were put together, someone who knew better than the common gossip might actually wonder. She could not risk that.

The doors were opened by pages and Via started to walk down the long aisle to the throne where Galbatorix sat and her betrothed stood. The two dragons, the black one and the red one, stood behind the throne. Their riders were dressed to match their respective dragons, but for Galbatorix this was nothing new. Murtagh however… Via couldn't help but admit to herself that the red tunic made her husband-to-be look superb, but she would never admit it aloud. Not that she could, anyway. Not if she planned on living.

As she stepped onto the throne dais she realized something was… Strange, to say the least. And then she realized what. One of the arms of the golden throne had somehow been extended. _Magic, I assume._

Murtagh took Via's hand and led her up the last stair and then turned so that the two stood facing the king. And then started to speak in the Elvin language.

Via heard someone in the audience groan; most people didn't know the Elvin language. She wasn't supposed to and so she tried to make it look as if she was bored instead of listening to Murtagh speak, since that's what the normal person, even a bride would look like whilst in reality, she was anything but bored.

"I, Murtagh son of Morzan, take Via, daughter of Alagaesia, as my wife today. Take her to serve the enhancement of Alagaesia, take her to serve the true ruler of the Broddring Empire, take her to serve my dragon, Thorn. None shall be higher in my mind than her other than my lord and master, the welfare of my country, and my dragon. This I, Murtagh son of Morzan, Rider of Thorn, so to swear."

Surprisingly, this short statement took a while to say in Elfish. Via tried to stop her understanding from showing upon her face and silently prayed that it did. '_Take her to serve the betterment of Alagaesia…the true ruler…my dragon_'? That was not the normal vows one made at a wedding. Not that Via had been to many, but she knew this was not said. It was as if… As if he was sacrificing her to those said things. _Am I to die today to serve Alagaesia, Galbatorix, and Thorn?_

_But then again, Galbatorix is not the 'true ruler of the Broddring Empire',_ Via realized suddenly, finding a loophole in something that should have been impossible to find an escape from. Galbatorix was not usually this careless. Unless he truly believed himself to be the true ruler of Alagaesia.

At the end of this speech, Via turned to Murtagh, expecting a ring to be placed on her finger. It wasn't as if she could speak her own vows. But then Galbatorix raised a hand and spoke. "Earls and Ladies, as we all know, Lady Via cannot speak yet vows must be said at a wedding. And she shall." He raised his hand and the extended arm of his throne began to glow. Via had to look away from the bright light and only once the shadows around her died down, did she look back.

A collective gasp came from the group of people in the room for there sat the last remaining dragon egg. It was the color of Via's own eyes, something that unsettled her.

"Put your hand on this egg," Galbatorix said. "And think the vows you would like to be said and I shall speak them for you."

_Why is he wasting his time and not probing my mind? Is this a trap? _She looked towards Murtagh, hoping that his face would reveal something, but it did not show even the smallest amount of worry, remorse, anything that might warn Via.

Via inhaled and flexed her hand, as if reluctant to touch such an important item. And then she put her hand on it and began to think. _Good-bye, Galbatorix, Dragon slayer! The Broddring line still lives! _

"Frahaina thrystathveir!" the formerly silent woman yelled in and a flash of green light blinded the whole room.

"You have signed your own death decree, Alsavianost Broddring," Galbatorix seethed as he saw that the silent girl had stolen his egg.

Murtagh, son of Morzan, just stood with an expression of hurt on his face. An expression that swiftly became hatred.

_Fra-From, Haina- Harm, Thrysta- Thrust, Thveir- Traverse _

A/N: Sorry for the badly written spell, I took the words from the Project Inheritence Encyclopedia.  
This story is going quicker than any of my others. Three updates in a day. I won't be around tomorrow or the next day though, sorry. Hopefully Thursday I will get one up. Hope you enjoyed it. As always, read, review, enjoy!

Lady N


	4. Awakening

**Every name and event that you recognize is owned by Christopher Paolini. Everything else, belongs to me, myself, and I. Unless I say otherwise of course, because then it belongs to whomever I say that it belongs to. Such as the name at the end of this chapter; it belongs to Sherwood Smith. So with my blessing, Read, Enjoy, and Review or else I won't have the incentive to update since I know the whole story. If you want to know it, make it known to me!**

_Where am I?_ Via couldn't help but wonder as her eyes opened to see the open blue sky. She wasn't in the window seat of her room and she had never been one to sleep walk. She raised her hand to her head and tried to sit up but found that she could hardly do so. She also discovered that her legs felt bruised and torn even. And all though she had woken herself up, she was still thoroughly exhausted. She wondered why but then the events of her wedding poured into her head. _Was it last night? Or longer? _It must have been the night before, Via mused, or how else would she have survived?

_You survived because you had me,_ a thought interjected Via's own and although she could hardly move and was hardly sitting up, she visibly recoiled. "Who said that?" she demanded, her voice coarse from not having spoken for over five years.

_Look up, oh brilliant one, _the same mocking tone cut into her thoughts once again. But the woman did not look up. Instead, she looked around. After she discerned that the egg she had stolen was not on the ground, as she hoped, she looked up towards the sky. "And here I was hoping I was just happening to go mad," she muttered as she saw the awe-inspiring sight above her head.

A rather large green dragon, with scales to match Via's own emerald green eyes, glittered in the sunlight as it beat it's wings, flying steadily over Via's head. _It's been hard to travel with you asleep and having to eat for two, but I managed, _the cocky voice said once again and then swooped to the ground suddenly and landed right in front of Via. Only then did Via notice that there was a blanket thrown over the dragon's back. She was about to ask how it had been placed there when the voice entered her thoughts again. _I tapped into your magic, hope you don't mind. I figured you wouldn't like to be scraped up after the first time I was able to fly with you a few weeks ago. You have no idea how irritating it was to sit in that mountainous forest with only being able to hunt, waiting for you to awaken and for me to grow. _

"Weeks?" Via exclaimed, "that's impossible! I couldn't have slept that long. It's not humanely possible. And why are you talking to me, anyway?"

If possible, the green dragon looked at Via with a look of amusement. _Months, actually. At least four but it may be more. I lost track after the first one.__Of course it's possible, it happened. And I'm talking to you, because I marked you. And you're a rider now, anyway so it may not be **humanly **possible, but it is possible._

Via finally stood up from her spot on the ground and looked at her right hand. And saw a shiny Gedwey Ignasia on the back of it. "I can't be your rider. I don't want to be. I was supposed to retrieve your egg and nothing more. There must be a law against such things anyway."

_And as for you being my rider, why not? You saved me and gave up five years of your speech to do so! And there is no law against female riders. I just never heard Shruikan tell any to Thorn while he was teaching him._

Via looked at the dragon, her eyes open wide. "You could hear in the egg?" she exclaimed, truly flabbergasted. "I never heard anything of the sorts. And that's not why I don't think I'm eligible to be a rider. My bloodline-"

_But I'm sure you never heard of a rider killing another and taking that other's dragon. Galbatorix did it. And as for your bloodline, that hardly matters now. You are a suitable rider because I picked you to be. Now, you have finally awoken so I suggest that you get yourself onto my back because I find it very irritating to have to pick you up and then toss you on my back. The only reason I let you off my back today was because you were speaking in your sleep and that was the most I've heard from you in all this time, so I figured you'd be waking up._

"You're pushy," Via muttered and the dragon snorted and black smoke escaped his nostrils. Via walked over to his side and looked as if she was about to climb onto the blanket but then looked at him. "If I'm to be your rider, at least until I find a way to change this and you must understand that I do not want this, I need to call you something."

_It does not matter if you do not want it, _he said with only a bit of arrogance on the tone of his thoughts. _Unless you die before our thoughts and emotions as well as the Gedwey Ignasia bind us, you will be my rider. I suggest you accept the idea. _

Via shook her head, "it's impossible. I won't see the Empire freed of Galdran only to let another rule in my family's stead. But we can discuss this once we reach the Varden, since I do imagine that we are heading to Surda. You have been flying in that direction from the Spine, correct?"

The dragon made yet another snorting sound and if a dragon could roll his eyes, he did just that. _Of course I am heading for Surda; although you did not speak aloud when we were in the Spine, as I have discovered that mountainous forest region is called from your thoughts, when I marked you, I caught a glimpse of your friend, Orrin, in Surda. _

The dark haired woman couldn't help but laughing. "Orrin is the king of Surda."

_Not your friend? I saw a memory of you two laughing over something, then dancing, and then him comforting you. _

Via frowned. "I never said we weren't friendly. But don't pry into my mind without my permission again," she said curtly. "It's my mind and although we may be bound together for a time, I plan on keeping my mind my own."

_As you wish, however we will soon become connected by emotions, although you should be able to tell which are yours and which are mine. Now, are we going to spend all day sitting in the sun where anybody could look down from the mountains and see us?_

"The mountains?" only then did Via look around at her surroundings. And then she swallowed a bit of saliva that was in her throat. "We're in the Hadarac Desert!"

_Yes, _the dragon thought impatiently. _And I'm beginning to become feverish. If you want to make it to Surda within the next few days, I suggest you climb on my back swiftly. _

"But… Why did we come to the Hadarac Desert? I thought you said we were in the Spine? We could have just flown south!"

_Yes… And not a single soul would see me! Although you may have desired it, I did not wish to alert the king that I actually hatched. You must realize that now the entire Empire is looking for you and, although I tried to be careful, I believe I was seen several nights ago, so the King must have received a report that I have hatched by now, although I cannot be sure. I flew north and then east and only then did I fly south into the Hadarac Desert and now I plan on going southwest, if that is all right with you?_

Via shrugged, "it's not as if I have much of a choice. You picked the course when I was sleeping." After a moment of contemplation, she finally placed her hands on the edge of the blanket and somehow pulled herself atop of the green dragon. "How am I supposed to hold on? How did I not fall off while I slept?"

_I've been very careful and that is the primary reason for our lack of progress. I'd prefer to go swifter, however, as we're only halfway through the Desert now. If you'd like, hold onto some of my scales. Don't hold on too tightly, however, because you may cut yourself or hurt me. It's too bad that you don't have gloves, but then I guess wedding dresses wouldn't have strong enough ones anyway._

A wave of sorrow passed through Via as she realized what Murtagh might have thought about her now. _I didn't mean to hurt him,_ she reasoned. _I was just doing what was best for the Empire. But he'll be hurt by the fact that I didn't confide in him even before he became Galbatorix''s puppet._

_Oh, stop your worrying about your lost love_, the thoughts once again interjected her own as the green dragon started to beat his wings.

"I told you my thoughts are to be my own! And he's not my lost love!"

_Not your lost or not your love? And you actually said your mind, your thoughts are fleeting and I figured those were not restricted. And, if you desire them to be, I am sorry but I cannot acquiesce to your request. You are my rider and as such, we need to be able to understand each other's actions by knowing one another's thoughts._

"Have it your way," Via said, paling as she looked down to the ground beneath her. "I think I may be sick."

_And I have hardly picked up any speed!_

"I'm sure you preferred me asleep."

_Yes, I did. You were more polite.  
_

"You're not the most polite person ever!"

_I am not a person._

Via accepted that and soon her stomach became settled and she started to actually enjoy the flight. Not that every time she looked down she didn't a bit unsettled. She was used to traveling by horse or by magic. The former was a mere few feet from the ground and the other… Well, she had only done that twice and both times she had not remembered a bit of the journey, although the first one she had been awake when she arrived at her destination. That time, another witch had cast the spell.

As she tried to think of how much time had passed, and how badly she must smell, a thought, of her own, appeared suddenly in Via's mind. The dragon had not told her his name. He obviously knew what she was thinking, for a split second later; he directed thoughts in her direction.

_Although usually the rider picks a suitable name for the dragon, I do not know my True Name and I did not feel like calling myself 'dragon' for the time that you were asleep so I picked a name I had once heard while in my egg._

Via waited for him to tell her his name, but he did not. She scrunched her eyebrows towards her nose, showing her frustration. She was about to demand of him to tell her, when he once again interrupted her thoughts.

_Vidanric_.

A/N: Sorry, this chapter isn't as detailed as the other two. I wanted to have Via meet the dragon, and show a lot about their relationship. I don't want to have to write chapters about their relationship since I only have one review so far. I know their relationship in my mind and so I only feel the need to put a bit of it onto paper since it seems that nobody enjoys my story.

And for anyone who recognizes the dragon's name, yes, he does have an irritating drawl!


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